Nano-channel enhanced composite membranes

Abstract

An apparatus for gas separation a composite gas separation membrane having a gas separation layer disposed on a surface of a porous support. The gas separation layer has a plurality of gas permeable inorganic nano-particles embedded in a dense polymer forming substantially only discrete gas transport channels through the dense polymer layer, wherein direct fluid communication is provided from a feed side of the composite gas separator membrane to the porous support. Preferably, the inorganic nano-particles are porous molecular sieve particles, such as SAPO-34, ALPO-18, and Zeolite Y nano-particles.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A gas separation structure having a feed side and an opposite permeate side, said gas separation structure comprising:
 a porous support having a feed side facing surface covered by a dense polymer layer; 
 a plurality of gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles embedded in said dense polymer layer to form a monolayer of said gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles, wherein said gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles have a generally uniform particle size greater than a thickness of said dense polymer layer and substantially all of said gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles provide direct fluid communication between said feed side and said porous support without intervening contact with the dense polymer layer; and 
 wherein the dense polymer layer provides a discrete transport channel between the gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles. 
 
     
     
       2. The gas separation structure of  claim 1 , wherein said dense polymer layer is gas permeable. 
     
     
       3. The gas separation structure of  claim 2 , wherein said dense polymer layer is permeable for CO 2 . 
     
     
       4. The gas separation structure of  claim 1 , wherein said gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles are selectively permeable for CO 2 . 
     
     
       5. The gas separation structure of  claim 1 , wherein said gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles are selected from the group consisting of SAPO-34, ALPO-18, and Zeolite Y nano-particles and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The gas separation structure of  claim 1 , wherein said dense polymer layer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes, cellulose acetate, polyimides, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. The gas separation structure of  claim 1 , wherein said porous support comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes, cellulose acetate, polyimides, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       8. The gas separation structure of  claim 7 , wherein said porous support is a polysulfone structure. 
     
     
       9. A composite gas separation membrane having a feed side and a permeate side comprising:
 a porous support having a feed side facing surface; 
 a dense polymer layer disposed on said feed side of facing surface; 
 a plurality of spaced apart gas permeable inorganic nano-particles embedded in said dense polymer layer to form a monolayer of said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles providing separate gas transport channels through said dense polymer layer, wherein said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles have a generally uniform particle size greater than a thickness of said dense polymer layer to provide direct fluid communication from said feed side to said porous support without intervening contact with the dense polymer layer; and 
 wherein the dense polymer layer provides a discrete transport channel between the gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles. 
 
     
     
       10. The composite gas separation membrane of  claim 9 , wherein said dense polymer layer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes, cellulose acetate, polyimides, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       11. The composite gas separation membrane of  claim 9 , wherein said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles are molecular sieve nano-particles. 
     
     
       12. The composite gas separation membrane of  claim 11 , wherein said molecular sieve nano-particles are selected from the group consisting of SAPO-34, ALPO-18, and Zeolite Y nano-particles and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       13. The composite gas separation membrane of  claim 9 , wherein said dense polymer layer is permeable for CO 2  and said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles are selectively permeable for CO 2 . 
     
     
       14. The composite gas separation membrane of  claim 9 , wherein said porous support comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes, cellulose acetate, polyimides, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. The composite gas separation membrane of  claim 14 , wherein said porous support is a polysulfone structure. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for gas separation comprising:
 a composite gas separation membrane having a gas separation layer disposed on a surface of a porous support, said gas separation layer comprising a plurality of gas permeable inorganic nano-particles embedded in a dense polymer layer as a monolayer forming substantially only discrete gas transport channels through said dense polymer layer via said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles wherein said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles have a generally uniform particle size greater than a thickness of said dense polymer layer to provide direct fluid communication from a feed side of said composite gas separator membrane to said porous support without intervening contact with the dense polymer layer, and wherein the dense polymer layer is gas permeable to provide a discrete transport channel between the gas permeable molecular sieve nano-particles. 
 
     
     
       17. The gas separation apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said porous support comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes, cellulose acetate, polyimides, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       18. The gas separation apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said porous support is a polysulfone structure. 
     
     
       19. The gas separation apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said dense polymer layer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes, cellulose acetate, polyimides, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       20. The gas separation apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles are selected from the group consisting of SAPO-34, ALPO-18, and Zeolite Y nano-particles and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       21. The gas separation apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said gas permeable inorganic nano-particles are selectively permeable for CO 2 .